Located in Brasilia, Brazil, the modern Osler House was sketched out by Marcio Kogan and occupies 2,906 square feet of space. Its design is based on two volumes complemented by a garden and a small pool. At the ground floor, the architects implemented cross-ventilation in order to minimize the need for air conditioning. The first and second levels are connected by an interior staircase, which can be accessed from the entryway foyer.
The upper level is actually a concrete and glass prism that relies on stilts for support. The living room and kitchen are a part of the same open space, and the only boundary between them is represented by a table that can be used for food preparation.
However, what makes the Osler House stand out among its peers is a special panel of tiles created by Athos Bulcão specifically for this residence. Athos’ panels can be admired on numerous other buildings in Brasilia, including the National Theater and the Planalto Palace.
From the architect:
In front of the entrance of the Osler House, located in Brasilia, there is a panel of tiles by the artist Athos Bulcão, designed especially for this wall. Dozens of buildings in Brasilia have panels by Athos, among them are: Planalto Palace, Itamaraty and the National Theater, all by Niemeyer. The artist’s modular tiles are an outstanding feature incorporated into the modern architecture of the modern city: from the beautiful residential buildings of the 60′s on the city’s south wing to the original projects for the institutions of the Brazilian political capital.
The classic and modern tiles of Athos are here in this house of 250m2 which takes on other designs of the modern city: the windows, the concrete, the plant. Two volumes and a small pool and garden compose the organization of the entire program.
On the ground floor, the rooms open out using rotating wooden panels, which are reminiscent of other elements frequently used in the modernist city. Throughout this area there is cross-ventilation. The small foyer in the entrance connects to the second floor with a delicate staircase.
The upper floor is organized in a prism of glass and concrete and is supported by stilts. The living room is in spatial continuity with the kitchen, separated only by a table used to prepare the food. All of the equipment and furniture of the kitchen are available on this table, in order that nothing vertically interrupts the visual transparency of the volume. On the roof of the ground floor, connected to the living room, the garden terrace extends the external area.
Design Year: 2006
Construction Year: 2008
Co-author: Suzana Glogowski
Collaborators: Lair Reis, Oswaldo Pessano, Samanta Cafardo, Carolina Castroviejo, Eduardo Glycerio, Maria Cristina Motta, Mariana Simas, Gabriel Kogan, Renata Furlanetto
Site Area: 797 sqm
Constructed Area: 270 sqm
Contractor: Abaco Engenharia
Landscape: Renata Tilli
Photographs: Zuleika de Souza, Claudio Dupas
